Wrench.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.; W. H. PRESTON.

WRENCH. APPLICATION nLn'n 82M. 20, 190

N0 MODEL.

UNITE STATES Fatented May 12, 1903 Y ATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM H. PRESTON, OF VALLEY JUNCTION, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PHILIP M.KN IPPENBERG, PORTAGE, WISCONSIN.

,WRE'NCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ilatent N0. 728,007Tdated May 12,1903. Application filed September 20, 1902 Serial No. 124,180. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Pnnsron, residing at Valley Junction, inthe county of Monroe and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of monkey-wrencheshaving a slid-' ing jaw and means for clamping the sliding jaw-to alocking position after the same has been adjusted upon the shank.

The object of my invention is to provide a wrench of this characterhaving a sliding jaw so constructed that the .same can be quicklyadjusted and held firmly in place while being used and in which theseveral parts constituting the instrument can be easily and economicallymade, conveniently manipulated, and which will effectively serve for itsintended purposes.

My invention comprehends certain novel structural detailed combinationsof parts, involving a non-circular shank having the fixed head-jaw andthreaded on its opposite edges, a jaw held to slide freely upon the saidshank,

a feed nut or sleeve having an internal an-' ing an annular externalratchet-face having coaction with the pawl carried upon the sliding jaw,adapted to automatically engage .the said ratchet-face and hold the nutfrom reverse turn during the operation of clamping the sliding jaw inplace.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like partsin all the figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedmonkey-wrench. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section showing the parts adjusted to allow for a freesliding adjustment of the movable ja'w. Fig. 4 is a similar view showingthe parts adjusted to hold the sliding jaw to a locked position. Fig. 5is a detail view of the sliding jaw. Fig. 6 is a similar view of theturn nut or sleeve. Fig. 7is a detail view of the locking-pawlhereinafter referred to.

In its practical construction my improved wrench comprises a shank 1,-upon the upper end of which is integrally or otherwise fixedly secured astationary jaw 2. has its opposite sides l m'ade fiat and nonthreaded,its opposite edges being rounded on a circle corresponding with theinternal annular surface of the nut'or sleeve 3, presently referred to,and the said edges have threads 1, the reason for which will presentlyappear. p

The sliding jaw 4 has the usual rectangular mortises 4 4 and a clampingmember 4, that oppose the jaw 22. The front edge of the sliding jaw hasa pendent extension 4, the lower end of which terminates in an intu'rnedlip 4 and bifurcated fingers 4", that straddle the front edge of theshank and serve to guide the jaw 4 in its vertical adjustments upon thesaid shank, and the said extension 4 is disposed away from the frontedge of the shank,

.so as to produce a slotway in which the nut or sleeve '3 turns, saidnut 3 having a thickness equal that of the space between the bottom edgeof the jaw 4 proper and the lip 4 The nut or sleeve 3 is made circularand has an internal bore whose diameter is equal that of the major axisof the shank 1, and said bore has two diametrically oppositely disposedsmooth unthreaded surfaces 3 and two alternately arranged threadedsurfaces 3 The outer or peripheral surface of thenut or sleeve3 has anannular ratchet-rim 3, with which a pawl 5, spring-acted to its lockingposition, engages, said pawl having a tooth 5, so beveled as to permitthe nut 3 being screwed home and to hold it from return movement. Thepawl 5 is fitted in the socket 4 formed on the front face of the jaw 4,said front face also having an elongated slot 4 for the passage of thetooth 5. The lower end The shank 1 of the pawl 5 extends below thependent extension of the sliding jaw 4t and terminates in a finger-piece5.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought the advantages of my improvedwrench will readily appear.

When it is desired to freely move the jaw 4 upon the shank, the nut 3 isturned to bring the unthreaded portion of its bore into register withthe threaded edges of the shank, said nut being held in its position bythe pawl 5. When thus adjusted, the jaw 42 can be quickly slid up toclamp against the work, after which by turning the nut 3 to the right tobring its threaded bore portions into mesh with the threaded edges ofthe shank the jaw 4 will be held securely clamped against the work andfrom back turn or loosening by the pawl 5, which engages the externalratchet-face of the said nut 3. To release the sliding jaw, it is onlynecessary to push out the pawl 5, so its tooth 5 will become disengagedfrom the ratchet-rim of the nut 3, which then can be turned to bring thesmooth bore-surface int-o register with the threaded edges of the shank,when it (the jaw l) irrespective of the position of the pawl 5 can beslid up or down at will. By making the ratchet-face externally of thenut it also forms a roughened surface to facilitate the turning thereof.

I am aware that sliding-jaw wrenches have heretofore been providedhaving a shank provided with a threaded surface and a washer or nutformed with a gear-face adapted to move into mesh with the threadededges of the shank, and I therefore make no claim, broadly, to suchconstruction. My invention difierentiates from what has heretofore beenprovided in this type of monkey-wrenches, so far as I know, in thepeculiar construction of the nut or sleeve and its cooperation with theshank and the sliding jaw and particularly in the detailed constructionthereof, in which the peculiar arrangement of the holdback pawl and theratchet-surface of the nut form essential features.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A monkey-wrench, comprising the usual fixed and sliding jaws, thelatter having an inturned lip, a shank with two plain and two threadedportions, a not having an external annular ratchet-face, a central borehaving two oppositely-threaded surfaces and two intermediate plainsurfaces, the threaded surfaces being arranged to mesh with the threadsof the shank, the said nut being held to turn between the bottom of thesliding jaw and the inturned lip member of the said sliding jaw, aspring-pawl carried by the sliding jaw adapted to engage theratchet-face of the nut, all being arranged substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The hereinbefore described improvements in monkeywrenches comprisingin combination; a shank having two fiat sides and two screw-threadededges, and a fixedlyheld jaw; a sliding jaw, said slidingjawhaving apendent member formed with an inturned lip, said lip having bifurcatedends fitting over the front edge of the shank, the front face of thesliding jaw having a vertically-disposed socket and a slot, a circularnut or sleeve adapted to turn with one edge between the bottom of thesliding jaw and its inturned lip, said nut having a central bore formedwith two oppositely-disposed smooth surfaces and intermediatescrewthreaded surfaces,and having an outer annular ratchetface, and aspring-pawl mounted in the socketed edge of thesliding jaw, said pawlhaving a tooth projected through the slot in the said jaw to engage theratchet-face of the nut, the lower end of the pawl being projected belowthe inturned lip of the sliding jaw and ending in a finger-piece, allbeing arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM H. PRESTON. Witnesses:

H. M. SowLE,

W. H. BOYINGTON.

